Rural Japan's Unbearable Problem

Rural Japan is facing a growing and concerning issue - the increasing prevalence of bear attacks. For years, the coexistence between humans and bears in Japan has been relatively peaceful. However, recent trends suggest a worrying rise in the number of bear encounters, leading to injuries and fatalities. Recent government statistics indicated that bear attacks in Japan are rising at an unprecedented rate in fiscal 2023, as the animals hunt ahead of hibernation.

The Environment Ministry reported 109 injuries, two deaths, between April and September, predominantly in northern Honshu. The result is the highest for the same time since fiscal 2007, when the government began monthly reporting.

The Tohoku Regional Forest Office reported on Oct. 20 that beech nut fruiting, a major bear food source, was classified as a "failed harvest" for this year in all five northeast Japan prefectures except Fukushima. Concerned organizations fear the scarcity of beech nuts is prompting bears to appear near human communities in quest of food, causing human casualties.

The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and the rare and endangered Ussuri brown bear (Ursus arctos lasiotus) live in Japan. These bears help reduce herbivore numbers and maintain Japan's forests. Most abundant on Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Hokkaido is the Asiatic black bear, commonly known as the Japanese black bear. The Ussuri brown bear lives in northern Japan, usually the northernmost main island of Hokkaido.

Professor Mayumi Yokoyama, a 20-year bear ecological researcher at the University of Hyogo said the following:

``There are always waves of good and bad, and it is true that a lack of food in the mountains is a direct cause. Bears are always searching for food, crossing prefectural borders and crossing four or five cities, towns and villages.'' Along the way, if they find persimmons growing in a low-lying village, they happily come out. The appearance in June and July is different from the food situation. As breeding becomes more active, some young individuals are dispersed during the reproductive struggle and may end up in human habitats."

``As the number of individuals increases and their distribution expands, a type of individual called 'pioneer' appears which explores new habitats. The bear may unexpectedly encounter humans and panic.

Bears have very poor eyesight and can only see in black and white, so the entrance to a building may appear dark. They often enter people's houses, barns, and warehouses thinking they are in the dark of a forest, and that may be why they enter sometimes shopping centers.''

Japan's declining rural population and empty houses combine with the high fertility rate of bears to produce a bear population explosion. Human who used to control bear populations now run away at the sight of bears, meaning bears are learning that humans are not something to fear.

Bears are an important part of the ecosystem, but humans and bears are generally incompatible in the same physical space. For the sake of humans and bears, a balance must be found. We all must be able to enjoy the bare necessities of life!